


The Mermaid of Storm's End

by Hanalea_wolf1992



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Based on The Legend of the Blue Sea, Childhood Friends, Eventual Romance, Fluff, Gen, I'll add more characters as they appear - Freeform, I'll probably come back to edit this later, Mer!Mel, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, adding this tag even though is a day late, at least part of it, mermaid au, stannisweek17
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-16
Updated: 2017-07-16
Packaged: 2018-12-02 23:13:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11519514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hanalea_wolf1992/pseuds/Hanalea_wolf1992
Summary: His limbs flailed uselessly against the tide, he was growing tired and his lungs burned from lack of air. As he was falling into unconsciousness, he felt the brush of silky tendrils against his face and soft lips pressing upon his own, then all went black.





	The Mermaid of Storm's End

**Author's Note:**

> This is heavily based on the K-Drama The Legend of The Blue Sea. At least Dam Ryeong & Se Hwa's story.  
> Robert's rebellion is not going to happen in this one.  
> I have planned to finish this with them being still teenagers (because of reasons) but I might continue until they are adults, I'm not 100% sure yet.  
> No beta, all mistakes are mine.

His limbs flailed uselessly against the tide, he was growing tired and his lungs burned from lack of air. As he was falling into unconsciousness, he felt the brush of silky tendrils against his face and soft lips pressing upon his own, then all went black.

**10 years before.**

The storm raged, and the two boys watched helplessly as the Windproud was smashed and devoured by the furious waves.

Mother.

Father.

With quivering lips and tears spilling down his cheeks, Stannis clutched his brother’s hand like a lifeline. And for once, he did not let go.

 

* * *

 

He prayed in the Sept and even in the Godswood, kneeling until his knees chaffed. Pleading to the gods to force the sea to return his mother and father. But he was not heard, he never was.

Someone did return, three days after. A boy not much older than himself. Not mother, or father.

The boy wiped his tears furiously and leveled a withering glare on the Father’s solemn figure. _No more_ , he promised himself.

 

* * *

 

Stannis bowed to never depend on anyone, not again. If he wanted Mother and Father back, he would have to do it himself. 

That night, when the castle was sleeping, he sneaked out his bedchambers, padding silently through the corridors. He made it to the beach undetected. There was no moonlight, and Stannis could barely see the turbulent waters of Shipbreaker Bay in the dark.

He was scared, even if he was loath to admit, but still moved forward, not even bothering to remove his boots. He had to get them back.

As he swam, he struggled against the tide that kept pulling at him, threatening to claim him just like it did Mother and Father.

In the distance, he could see torches, heard someone calling his name, maybe Maester Cressen, but he was too far from the shore now. _I’m right here_ , he wanted to scream, but he could only wheeze as waves dragged him.

He tried with all his might to get back to the Surface, but his exhausted body could no longer fight and he felt himself sink. _It does not matter,_ Stannis thought, _I’ll be with Father and Mother now._

As his eyes closed, he caught a glimpse shock of red and felt a small hand grab his and pull.

When Stannis woke, he was laying on his own bed. His throat was sore and his head hurt.

“Mother.” He croaked.

“Stannis? Can you hear me?” Maester Cressen’s worried face loomed above him, but he had no strength to answer.

Just then, his elder brother made his presence known. With blotchy cheeks and lips trembling, he pointed an accusatory finger at him.

 “You can’t leave, not like them. I won’t let you!” He bellowed.

“My lord,” Maester Cressen chided. “Your brother is still weak, you shouldn’t yell at him.”

“But he wanted to leave and never come back! Like mother and father.”

The old Maester sighed and rested a hand on the boy’s shoulders. “Come, my lord, your brother needs his rest, there would be time for that later.”

Robert let himself be led out of the chambers reluctantly, “tell him Maester,” he continued demanding, “tell him he can’t leave!”

Still weary and battered, Stannis closed his eyes once again and let sleep claim him. Mother. Father.

 

* * *

 

His recovering took days of confinement, with Maester Cressen fretting over him and Robert scolding him. “I will never forgive you if you try to leave again, Stannis,” his brother had promised.

When he was allowed to leave his chambers, he went to the shore again. He had heard they had found the boy there, and he still had the foolish hope his mother and father could return still.

Nothing.

 _They are not coming back,_ he told himself morosely. _They are truly gone._

He dragged his feet through the sand, picking small stones and throwing them as he went until he heard a small whimper coming from behind the large rocks.

He crept close and there, in the water, was a little girl, a curtain of crimson hair obscured half her face but he could still see a peculiar red eye glaring at him.

“You hit me.” She grumbled indignantly.

“I did not see you,” he retorted. “You shouldn’t be there, you fool, you are going to drown.”

“I will not!”

“Will too!”

“No, I’m not like you, and you are the fool that almost died!” the girl cried.

He sputtered and then took a close look at the girl. He remembered now, red hair, a hand grabbing his own and pulling.

“You… It was you! You saved me!”

The girl huffed and propped her body up against one of the rocks. She was not wearing clothes, but her front was covered by strange looking scales, the same color of her hair, and then… a tail. She had a tail instead of legs. Stannis remembered the stories Father had told him and Robert. He never believed them before.

A part of him wanted to flee, run to the Castle to Maester Cressen, but he couldn’t. He would not fear her, she had saved him, after all.

“What are you doing here? He questioned. “Where’s your family?”

The girl bit her lip and looked down, a small teardrop spilling down her cheek. “Gone,” she whispered, “All gone.”

Stannis felt tears of his own gathering in his eyes. Gone. Just like Mother and Father.

“My name is Stannis of House Baratheon” he blurted out, not wanting to dwell any more on his and the girl’s misery, “what’s yours?”

The girl looked at him, puzzled, tilting her head to the side.

“You don’t have a name?” The girl shook her head.

“Then I’ll give you one,” he bowed. A memory flashed through his mind, of an evening with his head resting on Mother’s lap as she read to him, it was a book from Essos his lord father had given her. He remembered the firm grip pulling him to the surface as he drowned, and a word came to mind.

“Melisandre.” He announced. “It means strength.”

The girl beamed at him, and for the first time in so long, he allowed himself a small smile.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think?
> 
> Btw, I'm pretty sure Mel's name doesn't appear in books but since I wanted little Stannis to be the one to give it to her just like in the drama ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> I have no idea when I'll be able to post again. 
> 
> I'll be slow with this one, so sorry about that.
> 
> Comments and suggestions are welcome and you can come to my [tumblr](http://mirandaabarlow.tumblr.com/) and say hi!


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